Too Late for Stephanie Plum

It’s like a major plot twist in one of the final chapters of a Janet Evanovich novel. Just when our heroine is in biggest danger, with no hope of rescue, there comes a faint glimmer of hope…

Too late, perhaps, to have much impact on the plans to shoot “One for the Money” in Pittsburgh rather than Trenton where it belongs, there is some activity in the Legislature to preserve the film/tv/media tax credit incentive program in New Jersey. The impending cancellation of the incentives was a major factor in the decision to shoot the film in Pittsburgh rather than Chambersburg.

State Senator Paul Sarlo, one of the bipartisan co-sponsors along with Tom Kean, Jr., has scheduled a hearing on his bill to expand the film tax credit this Wednesday morning in Secaucus. The aim of the hearing is to show support for the program as a good way to keep the industry hear and use the incentive program to compete with Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut. I doubt there will be enough support to expand the program, but saving it from extinction will be good enough for now.

The hearing is in Secaucus, at one of NBC’s studios, rather than Trenton, I am guessing in order to have a better chance to draw in more of NJ’s film and TV community who are clustered more in the northern part of the state. I hope to go, and am trying to get my colleagues at the Producers Guild to attend and testify.

If you might be so inclined to write a note in support of keeping and expanding this industry here in our State, there are several names and addresses below, for sending letters and/or making calls.

More to come.

SPECIAL HEARING

ON

NEW JERSEY’S FILM AND DIGITAL MEDIA TAX CREDIT

Senator Paul A. Sarlo, Chairman of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, has called a special public Committee hearing to discuss the future of New Jersey’s Film and Digital Media Tax Credit Program.  The Hearing will take place on Wednesday, June 9^th, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm at NBC/Universal’s “Mercy” Studio,10 Enterprise Avenue North in Secaucus (just off Meadowlands Parkway).

Introduced last November, the Garden State Film and Digital Media Jobs Act,(Senate, No.3002), which was co-sponsored by Senators Paul Sarlo and Thomas Kean Jr, seeks to enhance the current tax credit program for filmmakers…to attract even more films to the state, stimulate local business and create more jobs.  Unfortunately, the new administration has proposed suspending the current program altogether for Fiscal Year 2011 (which begins on July 1, 2010).

At the June 9 public hearing, the Budget and Appropriations Committee will invite testimony from those who would be affected by even a temporary suspension of the program. We will hear from production-related businesses, individuals whose livelihood depend on a continuous stream of production in New Jersey, filmmakers, producers and of course the production companies that will not consider filming in NJ without an economic incentive!

Please make every effort to attend this hearing.  At this critical juncture, your presence and support is essential to the survival of the program!

If you are unable to attend this important event, please consider sending  letters in support of the program to the individuals, below:

Senator – Chairman of Budget and Appropriations Committee
The Hon. Paul A. Sarlo
207 Hackensack Street, 2nd Floor
Wood Ridge, NJ 07075
201-804-8118

Senator – Senate Minority Leader
The Hon. Thomas H. Kean Jr.
425 North Street East
Westfield, NJ 07090
908-232-3673

Senator – Senate Majority Leader

The Hon. Barbara Buono

2 Lincoln Highway, Suite 401

Edison, NJ 08820

732-205-1372

Senator – Senate President

The Hon. Stephen M. Sweeney

Kingsway Commons

935 Kings Highway, Suite 400

Thorofare, NJ 08086-2238

856-251-9801

Senator – Assistant Majority Leader

The Hon. M. Teresa Ruiz

166 Bloomfield Ave.

Newark, NJ 07104

973-484-1000

Assemblyman – Assembly Speaker

The Hon. Sheila Oliver

15-33 Halsted St., Suite 202

East Orange, NJ 07018

973-395-1166

Assemblyman – Assembly Majority Leader

The Hon. Joseph Cryan

985 Stuyvesant Ave.

Union, NJ 07083-6909

908-624-0880

Assemblyman – Budget Chair

The Hon. Louis Greenwald

1103 Laurel Oak Rd., Suite 142

Vorhees, NJ 08043

856-435-1247

Governor

The Hon. Chris Christie
State House
P.O. Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
609-292-6000

Lt. Governor

The Hon. Kim Guadagno

State House

P.O. Box 001

Trenton, NJ 08625

609-292-6000

Treasurer

Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff
State Treasurer
125 West State St., Box 002
Trenton, NJ 08625-0002
609-292-3078